Improvement in uterine-supporters



cushion.

BENJAMiN-E, STEPriENsoN, 0E SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS.'

Letters Patent No..l04,657, lated .Tune 21, 187i).

IMPROVEMENT IN UTnRrNzi-SUPFQMRS.

The Schedule referred. to in these Letters Patent and making parte! the saine To all. 'whom it may concern..-

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN F. 'S'rErHuNsoN,v

of Springfield, in the county of Sangamon and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Uterine-Supporters; and I do hereby declarethe following to beV a full, clear,andexact description thereof, reference being badfto the accompanying drawing of the same,.\vhich mahespart of this specification, and in 4whichl r instrument, with a portion of its attaching-straps.

, Figure 3 represents a vertical section, and

Figure 4 a top view of the open annular rubber air- My invention relates to ,an instrument for sustainin g the'nterus, 'in cases wliei'e that organ has become'- diseased; and consists in the employment of an open annular air-cushion, of thin, soft rubber, provided with any air-inflating tube, and, supported upon aV bifurcatedhollow rubber stem, stitfened Aby interior springs, so as to render the stem and its supporting ,branches sufficiently strong to hold up the uterus, and yet beperfectly mobile to accommodate itself to the iiections of the body without impinging uponthe parts, or producing or aiding their irritation. j

: 1n the accompanying drawing- Y Arepresents an open annular cushion of soft rubber, having only such thickness as willbear ination, and of a diameter just suiiicient to'iill the'vagina, without distend'ing it in the least, so `that the fine ligaments sustaining it4 with the uterus may be 4 allowed to contract, 'and thus obtain strength.

This air-cushion is supported upontwo curved vbranches B B of a central vertical stem, C, and they arecast hollow, in one piece. The bifurcated'end of the stem is of' semicircular form, and, therefore, sup; ports the 'air-'cushion A, atI its opposite sides only, for

the purpose. of allowing the vgreater portion of the an-l nular cushion to yield. vertically,as, experience has shown that a.rigid'-support is -not adapted either` to the structure or the diseaseof the parts to be upheld.

The space 'between the air-cushion and the branches of its supporting-stem receives and sustains the vmouth of the uterus, in such manner as to facilitate the circulation, and permit the free discharge of thesecretious; because, in no case couldthe mouth of j the `uterus be entirelyclosed, as when supported upon r a diaphragm,was a perforatedA surface will be practically closed by the folds of .the uterus, and thus, in-

stead of aiding, will prevent the necessary circulation. A skeleton-support forits mouth is, therefore, a great advantage.

Y In order togivea proper degree of stitlness tothe central stem andthe supporting branches B B,the soft -rubber is cast around properly-tempered spiral or sitting position of the body.

springs a, so that,:whilc imparting sufficient rigidity l to the stem, yet it must possess the required degree `of inoblity to yield in any direction with the bending `This adjustment is more especially ei'ected by the separation of the springs at the junction of the stem (i with the branches B B, so that the instrument can have, Aat this point, a' sort of universal swiveling motion, without affecting its dcapacity for vertical and lateral support.

` The supporting annular air-'cushion A is inflated by uieans of a small branch rubber tube, D, of suiicient length to extend yfrom said cushion (to which it is secured by cement) to its central supporting-stem,

to which it is Ytied by a cord, b, or other suitable means, and thus closed when the annular pillow is filled with The inflation may be made by a glass tube inserted in the end of the inliating-tube. l V

I li'e 'springs a. of the branches are separate from those of tliestein, and, with the delicate annular cushf inn A, render every part 'of the instrument perfectly yielding, so that no part has a frictional motion, and, therefore, can produce no'ir'i'itation. 4

The instrument, when inserted into the vagina, is held in position by means of elastic connecting-straps E, which lead up to and are secured to' straps F, which v 'pass around the waistof the wearer.

The junction -ofthe ,instrumentV with these connecting-straps is such as toadmit of Va lswiveling motion of the air-cushion A,aiid, for this purpose, the lower end of the supporting-stem C is cast with a shoulder, c, or groove, into or upon `which a bnckskin center-piece, G, .is secured, having a branch, G', which fitsI around the iii-side of each limb, to the ends of which elastic straps H are attached, with their upper'ends fastened. to the straps E of the waistband, andfby this means, the` supporting-pillow is always maintained in proper position. l j

Having described my invention,

I claim- I l. The uterine-supporter, formed by the thin openannular air-cushion A, in combination with its intlatingtube D, and flexible bifurcated supporting-stem C, substantially as herein described.

2.4 Au open aniinlar air-cushion, A, supported at tivo points only, so as to admit of universal d ection, for the purpose herein described.

3. The supporting branches B B, provided with stiiin ening-springs a', inconnection with a central stem, O, also fitted with a stiii'ening-sprin-g, a; in such manner as toadmit of a universal yielding motion` at the junction of the stem with its branches, substantially as described. B. ESTEPHENSON.

Witnesses:

' CHARLES E. PARKER,

AYERs. 

